Lord Tyler is a veteran Lib Dem MP who has been in the Lords for years, a keen proponent of the constitutional changes that the coalition has decided to make. Lord McAvoy is a veteran Labour MP but a recent addition to the Lords, one of several recently ennobled opposition peers who are apparently being blamed for being "thuggish" and disrupting regular Lords practice. Lord Howarth is an equally veteran Labour MP at whom accusations of thuggery are far more rarely levelled.

Lord Tyler [LD]: Some of us have seen a fascinating grid, the Opposition's speaking grid, that was left in some facilities of the House overnight earlier in the week. It was very helpful because we were then able to see when noble Lords were being instructed to speak on various amendments. Would either [Lord Howarth] or one of his colleagues tell us what the grid is for today? Then we could know when the noble Lord was going to speak and perhaps we could slip outside to have a cup of tea or even a snooze. At the moment, we are not given any guidance as to when various Members of the Opposition are going to speak, and that is a pity because we could make more progress. Also, if I can make a suggestion to the opposition office that produced this grid, it would be helpful to know how long the noble Lord will speak.

Lord Howarth of Newport [Lab]: I would personally be terribly disappointed if the noble Lord, Lord Tyler, were to take advantage of the fact that I was on my feet to go and have a cup of tea because I depend on his presence as a stimulus and discipline to myself. I might be tempted to speak more rashly and randomly if it were not for the invigilatory presence of the noble Lord in the Chamber.

Lord McAvoy [Lab]: In relation to the contribution of the noble Lord, Lord Tyler, does he know that just before we adjourned yesterday, Conservative Whips happened to find some papers that had been left in one of the gents toilets indicating a rota going on until six in the morning? There were then all sorts of phone calls and various messages went out to Conservative Members to come back quickly and to make sure that they were there. It turned out, somehow or other, that the paper was a hoax.

Lord Howarth of Newport: My noble friend has a knowledge of the dark arts that I could never match, nor would I wish to. [Hansard]